Chapter 93. Night Visit to the Game Corner
"Ah? Then I'm in real danger!"
Ash Ketchum hugged Pikachu and felt a chill run down his back.
"Pikachu!"
Pikachu hopped onto his shoulder and rubbed his face as if to comfort him.
"Wooo—"
From the sky came a familiar call.
Everyone snapped their heads up, and a violent gust slammed into them a heartbeat later.
"Whoosh~"
A massive Dragonite touched down.
"It's Mr. Lance!"
Seeing the person on Dragonite's back, Ash shouted in excitement.
"Ash, Natsume, you're here too?"
Lance jumped from Dragonite and greeted the three.
"Screee—"
A piercing cry split the air, and an Aerodactyl descended right after.
"Huh? Mr. Lance, is there someone else?"
Officer Jenny sounded surprised.
"No."
Lance shook his head.
All eyes turned to the Aerodactyl as a man leapt down.
He wore a gray-black felt vest, his short teal hair striking even in the night, every bit as flamboyant as Lance.
"Allow me to introduce myself.
I'm Archer, Team Rocket Executive."
Archer stepped before them and gave a slight bow.
"Team Rocket!"
Ash gasped.
"How dare you show up here!"
"Pika!"
Pikachu snorted coldly in support.
"Hold it, Ash.
Archer is here to assist us."
Lance put a hand on Ash's shoulder.
"Assist?"
Ash blinked, then noticed Natsume winking at him.
He remembered Natsume mentioning that Team Rocket had plenty of legitimate front businesses.
"Hmph."
Ash turned away, clearly not thrilled.
"In that case, shall we?"
Archer said.
"Wait."
Natsume stopped him.
"You're here to 'clean house,' right?
You're not hiding some other assignment, like taking out the Rocket Admins down there before we can question them."
Natsume's offhand remark drew only a headshake from Archer.
"Perish the thought.
We in Team Rocket always purge lawbreakers within our own ranks.
For all we know, Giovanni may already have people on the move."
Archer gave a thin smile.
"Mr. Natsume, let's depart."
Officer Jenny looked to the group.
"Lance, there's a problem with this man."
On the way, Natsume's voice suddenly rang in Lance's mind.
Lance started, realizing this was telepathy like at Saffron Gym.
"No way.
Jenny told me this case involved Team Rocket, so I contacted him at once.
He shouldn't have had time to prepare…"
Natsume gave a slight nod.
They were both right.
Archer hadn't had time to prepare, but he still wasn't clean.
Natsume quietly used his psychic power to sense the man's emotions.
Archer hid it well, but Natsume could still feel a thread of panic in his heart.
Archer walked at the front.
The undershirt beneath his vest was already soaked through with sweat.
If this operation got ruined, Giovanni's grand plan would fail.
He might still be able to lift the experimental data right under these people's noses.
But what about the rest of the Team Rocket Grunts?
The Pokémon League would certainly follow the trail back to them.
"Mr. Archer, I hope you truly are here to assist."
Outside the First Game Corner, Officer Jenny eyed Archer warily.
"Ha ha, but of course."
Archer glanced sidelong at Lance, fingers brushing a Poké Ball before he produced a ring of keys.
"Creak~"
The Game Corner's front door swung open.
"Wow, this place is definitely suspicious.
It's nighttime and it's actually closed."
Ash swept a glance across the district.
Everywhere else blazed with lights, yet only the First Game Corner had shut its doors and locked up.
At Ash's remark, Archer's hand twitched on the key.
Damn it.
Which idiot Admin is assigned here?
"Follow me."
Natsume, Rotom Phone in hand, slipped past Archer and took point.
"You open the hidden door here."
Inside one of the Game Corner's rooms, Natsume looked to Archer.
Archer knew there was no point playing dumb now.
Moments later, a trapdoor yawned open and a tunnel revealed itself before them.
"You Rockets sure love digging holes," Ash muttered, peering down at the large space below.
"What, none of you going down?"
Archer arched a brow.
"Relax.
I said I came to clean house, so I'll clean house."
With that, Archer jumped down first.
"Officer Jenny, please guard this exit."
Just before dropping in, Lance turned to Jenny with a request.
"Got it.
No problem."
Jenny nodded, watching them all descend into the underground.
Contrary to what they expected, the subterranean space was an immense forest.
Not just a forest—off in the distance, they could even see a lake.
"Is this whole place one giant mimesis field?"
Lance stared, stunned.
"Wow, I wonder if there are any Pokémon in here—ah!"
Ash didn't finish before Pikachu smacked him.
"You're right, Pikachu.
We should find Misty first—what is that!"
Before Ash could finish, a child popped out of the nearby grass.
"Bulba, bulba!"
The child dropped to all fours, mimicking Bulbasaur's cry.
"What's wrong?"
Ash stepped forward, but the kid sprang up and bolted, just like a wild Pokémon spooked by a Trainer.
"Cater~ cater~"
Another child in a tree nearby wriggled into view, imitating a Caterpie.
Both children wore helmet-like devices mounted on their heads.
"What is going on?"
Lance's eyes flashed with anger.
"These scum who tarnish Team Rocket's name—once I find whoever's in charge, I'll make sure we interrogate them thoroughly."
Archer's face wore righteous fury, as if he were the inspector here.
"Pat!"
Lance suddenly set a hand on Archer's shoulder.
"In that case, take us to them."
Lance's voice dropped low.
Thus far, he hadn't seen a single Team Rocket member.
Archer nodded, his clenched fists whitening at the knuckles.
"Ash, you go find Misty."
Natsume pushed a map to Ash's Pokédex.
"Natsume, where are you going?
I want to come too!"
Ash felt like he might miss something big.
"Pika!"
Pikachu patted his cheek.
It agreed with Natsume—finding Misty came first.
"Aren't you curious what Pokémon Misty thinks she is, inside a world of hypnosis?"
Ash froze.
Suddenly that sounded like the real can't-miss moment.
"Also, I upgraded your Pokédex's camera the other day.
It records in 4K now!"
"Hiss—"
Ash's eyes lit up.
"Then, Natsume, I'll go film—save—Misty first!"
Ash sprinted toward a marked point by a certain lake.
Watching him race off, Natsume turned and looked to Lance and Archer up ahead.
Following Archer's lead, they soon walked out of the mimesis field.
A gigantic underground warehouse came into view.
Across the ceiling ran a web of twisted cabling, supplying power to maintain the mimesis field.
"Boom!"
A thunderous blast rolled out from within the warehouse.
A moment later, the three saw a knot of Team Rocket Grunts spilling out in a panic.
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